Shloka 3

Adhyāya 108 — Nimitta-darśana and Drona’s counsel amid Arjuna’s advance (निमित्तदर्शनं द्रोणोपदेशश्च)

Devanagari script

तस्य कार्य त्वया वीर रक्षणं सुमहात्मन:

Transliteration

tasya kāryaṁ tvayā vīra rakṣaṇaṁ sumahātmanaḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya nói: “Hỡi dũng sĩ, bổn phận của ngươi là bảo hộ bậc đại hồn Bhīṣma. Nếu tổ phụ Bhīṣma của chúng ta được an toàn trong chiến trận, người sẽ gắng sức vì thắng lợi nơi sa trường và sẽ tiêu diệt các Pāṇḍava cùng với người Pāñcāla.”

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• कार्यं: duty; what is to be done
• कार्यं: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• वीर: O hero
• वीर: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• रक्षणम्: protection; guarding
• रक्षणम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• सुमहात्मनः: of the very great-souled (one)
• सुमहात्मनः: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Pāṇḍavas
• Pāñcālas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames protection of a key elder-warrior as a warrior’s obligation (kārya), showing how dharma in a royal-war context can be expressed as loyalty to one’s side and strategic safeguarding of a decisive leader—while also hinting at the grave ethical weight of seeking victory through large-scale destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports counsel urging a warrior to ensure Bhīṣma’s safety. The reasoning is tactical: if Bhīṣma is kept secure on the battlefield, he will press for victory and is expected to devastate the opposing forces, specifically the Pāṇḍavas and their Pāñcāla allies.